Friday, May 31, 2019

Trio of Shades from the Journey & Co GRL PWR Collection

Hello, dear readers, and happy Fri-yay! I don't have anything in particular planned this weekend, but I'm looking forward to some quality time with my guys. After having four days with them last weekend, it's been so quiet around the house this week. Now on to today's post!

While attending The Makeup Show in New York earlier this month, one of my stops was at the Journey & Co booth. This indie nail polish line was launched in March by 8 year old creative Journey Phillips. Her dreams started when she started creating polishes to share with friends while in kindergarten. Each polish came with a personalized inspirational note to bring about inclusivity and inspire young girls. The brand launched with a seven piece collection, called the GRL PWR Collection. I purchased three of them while at the show and wanted to share them with you today. Let's check them out!

Purple Slay

You Are Strong. #BeBrave

Purple Slay is a vibrant, warm toned purple creme nail polish that is sure to be a hit this summer. I can be a little hit or miss with purple shades, but this one stole my heart and is perfection for the warm summer months ahead! I have it shown here with two coats.

Pink Fairytale

You Are Magic. #BeKind

Pink Fairydust is a rich magenta pink polish that is loaded up with blue reflecting shimmers. It is the shade that grabbed my attention when I first stopped by the booth and for good reason- the blue shimmer in this is incredible! I used two coats to reach opacity for these photos.

Halographic

You Are Worthy. #BeGreat

Halographic is just what you would expect: it is a silvery holographic sparkling beauty! This is a polish than can be used as a topper or on its own to reach opacity. I have it here by itself with two coats. The two coats actually has quite nice coverage although the camera is really good at picking out the spots that peek through. I actually quite like it like this, but you can opt to add in a third coat for even more coverage.

I am so glad that I picked up these beauties at the show! It is an uplifting collection no matter what your age and the colours are positively gorgeous!

Journey & Co has recently launch the Dream On Cloud 9 Summer Collection, a new five-piece collection. I'm really looking forward to watching the brand grow!

Have you checked out Journey & Co's nail polishes? Which shades or finishes are your favorites? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day and enjoy the weekend!
XO!


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Thursday, May 30, 2019

Misery Acquaints a Man with Strange Bedfellows: Literary Lacquers for June Polish Pickup

Press Sample


With only a couple days left in May, I hope you are ready for the next Polish Pickup! June's edition is even more exciting because Amy of Literary Lacquers will be joining in for the first time! Big cheers all around! I'm obviously really excited about the news, and I am thrilled to be sharing the Literary Lacquers contribution to the upcoming June opening.


The theme for the June Polish Pickup is "Weather". Strange Bedfellows, the contribution by Literary Lacquers, was inspired by the tempestuous sea storm in Shakespeare's The Tempest. Magically created by Prospero, it is a fun take on this month's theme!


Strange Bedfellows starts off with a crelly base is a beautiful aqua shade and is chock full of shimmer that shifts from pink to gold. There are also gorgeous iridescent glass flecks that plays so well with the shade-shifting shimmer!


In spite of all the goodness packed into this polish, Strange Bedfellows applies so easily to the nails. I used two coats to reach opacity, although with my bright light setup, my camera caught the slightest hint of nail line. Two coats should suffice for you unless your nails are particularly long or you use very thin coats.


I added a layer of top coat over Strange Bedfellows for these photos.


This polish is truly a shimmering sensation! While the above photos were taken indoors with my light setup, check out the photo below of it in the sun!


Isn't it just stunning! I love all the sparkle and this colour makes me weak in the knees. Since I was sharing a shot from outside on a bright sunny day, I wanted to include one from indoors with less lighting. Check it out!


Once you take the lights away, you can see just how much has gone into this beauty!


Strange Bedfellows will be available for purchase from the Polish Pickup website ONLY from Friday, June 7th through Monday, June 10th. There is no cap to the number of bottles that will be available. After the June Polish Pickup ordering window has closed, please allows three weeks for shipping.

I am excited to see Literary Lacquers join in on the Polish Pickup fun, and what an incredible first contribution! It is a great shade for those long, summery days, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Are you looking forward to the June opening of the Polish Pickup? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!



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Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Get Your Mind in the Gutter with Dirty Mind Cosmetics

Warning! The sexual nature this post may be offensive to some readers. Please proceed with caution!


Greetings, dear readers, and happy Tuesday! Here's hoping to a better week with more blog posts to share! For today's blog post, I wanted to share an indie cosmetic brand I stumbled across while attending The Makeup Show in New York City.


Dirty Mind Cosmetics is a newcomer to the beauty industry, and I purchased all six items in the brand's current product lineup to share with you. Dirty Mind Cosmetics launched in October 2018 with a four-piece Tim Burton character-inspired lipstick collection. Since then, two new shades were added for this past Valentine's Day. Vegan and cruelty-free, Dirty Mind Cosmetics encourages you to let your mind wander to the naughty thoughts without fear of judgement. I hope you're ready to strap-on and learn more about the products!


But first....


Warning! The sexual nature this post may be offensive to some readers. Please proceed with caution!


Yes, I know it seems a little obsessive to mention it again, but I want to be very clear with all my wonderful readers that this post may be a little too risqué for your preference. As much as I love having you here, I respect you and want to give you the opportunity to step away if necessary.

Let's get a closer look at the colours!


The six shades of the brand lineup consists of:

Red Rocket (Valentine's Day 2019 duo)
Just The Tip (Tim Burton quad, Fall 2018)
BJ (Tim Burton quad, Fall 2018)
Heart On (Valentine's Day 2019 duo)
Wanna Scissor? (Tim Burton quad, Fall 2018)
Carpet Matches The Drapes (Tim Burton quad, Fall 2018)

I've been wearing all six shades since purchasing them at The Makeup Show in New York City, and I have a few looks I wanted to share with you. I'll be adding more details about each specific shade as I mention them. Let's let our guard down, get our minds in the gutter, and get a little dirty!


BJ

Let's start off with the original four shades from the Tim Burton original launch. First up is BJ, a sexy black hue with a warm red undertone. I love a good black lipstick, but with my warmer skintone, I find many have a blue undertone that isn't particularly flattering. Thankfully Dirty Mind Cosmetics realized us warm-toned girls want to sport a black lipstick too! Inspired by Beetlejuice, this lipstick is super creamy and applies easily to a smooth finish. The colour stays on the lips for longer than most bullet lipsticks I have used although is does need a little pick-me-up... which is something a BJ is good for, after all! It did bleed a little outside my lips when I first tried it without lipliner, but this isn't something unusual for me when it comes to rich and dark lip shades.


Just The Tip

While we're on the topic of Beetlejuice, we might as well continue with the Lydia Deetz-inspired shade, Just The Tip. A light peachy-pink shade, this is one of those shades that can be a true nude on some people, a subtle hint of colour on some, or give your lips a serious dramatic WOW factor. On me, it definitely has the peach and pink combination. At TMS, I swatched it next to a makeup artist with very pink undertones, and it looked very peach on her. Whether or not this shade will work for you ultimately depends on the type of look you want and how your own colouring with play with this lipstick. While this is true of makeup in general, I wanted to point this out with this particular shade; even I was shocked at just how different it looked when swatched next to me. I'm kicking myself for not snapping a side-by-side photo at the booth to show you!

As for this lipstick itself, Just The Tip is already a favorite of mine for this summer! Easy to apply with colour that lasts for several hours (barring that cheeseburger I scarfed down the other day), Just The Tip is the perfect quickie.... for when you want to get a little shade on your lips and out the door fast, that is!


Wanna Scissor?

Continuing on, Wanna Scissor? is another one of those shades that will look vastly different depending on the undertones in your skin. Inspired by Edward Scissorhands, this cool, muted purple has a touch of grey. On me, it is definitely somewhere between those two with an added pink flush. It looked much more purple on one of the ladies who was working at the booth while it pulled even less purple than it does on me on yet another makeup artist that swatched it. In truth, I don't find this colour to be the most flattering on me, but when paired with a similar colour on my cheeks and eyes and this killer wig, it almost works! I still really enjoy this, and I like that it applies smoothly to a beautiful, even finish. On that note, I'm sure many would agree with me that the finish is the best part....


Carpet Matches The Drapes

Last up from the Tim Burton quad is this dark, vampy burgundy lipstick inspired by Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas. Given the name, part of me wonders if Dr. Finklestein put that much thought into creating this fabulous humanoid ragdoll. Either way, Carpet Matches The Drapes is a glorious shade! I will sport a good red lip no matter what time of day or season and this one is just sexy! Like BJ, I did find that I needed to use a lipliner to keep it from feathering outside my lips, but as I already mentioned, this is a common occurrence for me with dark shades. I did have to touch up after eating and several hours of wear, but the colour was longer lasting than a traditional bullet-type lipstick for me.


On to the two newer shades to the brand lineup!

Heart On

You really can't go wrong with this berry pink shade from the Valentine's Day 2019 duo! While I normally consider myself a red girl when it comes to lips, I really enjoy this hue on my lips. This vibrant shade will look beautiful any time of year, but I love it for the spring and upcoming summer in particular. It just makes your lips look so juicy, and let's be real, that's exactly what you want when paired with a hard.... I mean Heart On. Application is creamy, the colour is beautifully pigmented, and it stays put: what more could you want?

Red Rocket

Coming up the end of this post is Red Rocket, the second half of the Valentine's Day 2019 duo. After all, can a Valentine's duo be complete without a red shade? Red Rocket is a beautiful brick red hue that looks particularly lovely on warmer skin tones. I find it to be a great hue for day-to-day red lips! I know a lot of people tend to shy away from reds, especially during the day, but if you're wanting to step a little outside your comfort zone, this is a good way to do it. I have found that I want just a little taller and my head up more confidently on the days I wear red! Like the other lipsticks from Dirty Mind Cosmetics, the formula is really creamy and imparts long lasting colour onto the lips. I have found that I don't gravitate towards these types of reds as much during the spring and summer months, but I know this is going to be a favorite transitional shade into fall! 


I have been impressed with the overall quality of these lipsticks from Dirty Mind Cosmetics. While some shades are more my style than others, I can certainly appreciate the slip....errr, creaminess of all these lipsticks. The colours leave a *ahem* lasting impression and don't require the hourly touchups like most bullet-type lipsticks. I can generally get several hours of wear between touchups with the exception of when I am eating lip-intensive foods like burgers or tacos. Speaking of which, if Dirty Mind Cosmetics is needing a name for a new pink shade...... Yep, I totally went there.

All six of these lipsticks can be purchased from Dirty Mind Cosmetics on their website located here. Each shade retails for $20. Alternately, Dirty Mind Cosmetics is going to be at the San Francisco Pop-Up of The Makeup Show Beauty Shop. This particular event is open to the public, and if you are in the area, you can check them out in person and purchase them there! They have announced that there will be more products coming soon, so keep our eyes peeled for what Dirty Mind Cosmetics releases next!

Prior to this post, were you familiar with Dirty Mind Cosmetics? Are any of these shades speaking to you? I'd love to hear your thoughts about these colours or what you're hoping to see the brand launch next!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!



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Friday, May 24, 2019

Highlights from the Beauty Spotlight Team



Boxwalla released their "A Summer in Hangzhou" June Beauty Box featuring 2 full-size products from 5YINA– that you don’t want to miss. The full size face oil and face mist are perfect for the summer, and Lola's Secret Beauty Blog highly recommends getting this Cruelty-Free, eco-luxe box before it sells out. The cost is $49.95 for $190.00 worth of products! #Boxwalla #5YINA 


Pammy Blogs Beauty fights the GA heat and humidity with n:p beautiful hair products and vibrating flat iron


Prime Beauty got her glow back with the new Pixi Beauty Glow Collection. It really is exceptional skincare! 

Have you ever wondered which ingredients are important in your skincare products? Check out these 11 dermatologist recommended ingredients on The Makeup Obsessed Mom


It's National Sunscreen Day, Memorial Weekend and the unofficial start of summer. Never Say Die Beauty is protecting her face from the sun's damaging and aging rays with three exceptional lightweight sunscreens from Paula's Choice


Is your skin craving attention? Maybe what it needs is a dose of vitamins to perk it up. Beauty Info Zone has a skincare line, MultiV6 that's the solution to problems your skin is having. See what the fuss is all about. 


Jen from Laugh, Love Contour tested out a cosmic-themed nail art stamping plate and her nails are out of this world! Check out her post to learn more about this plate and if it might work for you! 


Are you looking for a clean, natural, cruelty free and effective age defying serum to add to your skin care regimen? Erika at Notes from My Dressing Table has been test driving the Airelle Age Defying Serum with Barrimatrix and she's really impressed with it. Come check it out!

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Monday, May 20, 2019

Exploring Space with Born Pretty Store Stamping Plate

Press Sample

Good morning, and happy Monday, dear readers! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and the new week is off to a good start. Last week was particularly bad for me with caring for a sick kid, and the weekend culminating with my other child getting sick (with something different, I might add) and getting sick myself yesterday. I spent all day yesterday either resting and napping on the couch or my bed. While it makes for a less than glamorous story to share here, I am cautiously optimistic I am fully over it and can resume normal life. Cross your fingers for me!

While my weekend was certainly uneventful, I did have some time to paint my nails on Saturday during my kids' naptime. I had the cutest celestial-themed stamping plate from Born Pretty Store waiting for review and did I create an adorable manicure with it! Let's jump in and check it out!


This is the "Deep Cosmos" stamping plate (BP-A09). As you can see, it contains 14 etched images to choose from.


While there are certainly cosmic images on this plate, there are a few that I personally find to be a stretch for "cosmic". Adding in a few stars or a moon is a stretch for me, but in spite of that, I do still enjoy the images. The night city scene in particular is calling to me and will definitely be worn some time soon! The angel "Peace on Earth" is a little too holiday for me for this time of year and not quite to my taste in general. Other than this particular image, I can see myself using everything on this plate.

How cute is the image of shooting stars over the penguins? I generally don't gravitate towards penguins in nail art until the winter and will have to remember this image later in the year!

The Deep Cosmos Stamping Plate can be found here at Born Pretty Store.

Let's check out the nail art I created this weekend!


I love space-themed nail art and have often shared designs with planets and stars. While there are many of these styles on this plate to choose from, I opted to go a little different route and selected the astronaut image. Please pardon the bit of smearing from top coat issues on my one nail. Other than that, how cute is this manicure?


Normally when I sit down to do stamping, I grab my tried and true stampers. This time, however, I had a couple new stampers I purchased awhile back I wanted to try out. This experience left me rather well acquainted with this plate. One of my new stampers is firm, a fact I did not realize when I bought it. I still wanted to try it and found my firm stamper could not pick up the image on this plate at all. I quick tried it on a different plate by MoYou London and had success. I then attempted to stamp with my other new stamper that I had used once before with success. This second stamper is a little squishier than the first, and while it picked up some of the image, is still did not pick up the full image well. In the end, I used a third stamper that I love and is very squishy a slightly sticky. I had success with this final stamper picking up the full image and transferring it onto my nails.


I had already suspected the etching on this plate to be on the shallow side, and my testing utilizing several stampers in a range of firmness only confirmed it for me. Firm stampers do not transfer images well, if at all, on my curved nails so this is not a deal breaker for me, but it is something to be aware of if you tend to prefer a firm stamper. The images are really cute, and for such an affordable price, it's still worth checking out.


As you can see from this stamped image, I only got the astronaut and the lower part of Earth onto my nails. This is about the longest I keep my nails now, so if your nails are the same or shorter, you won't have the full image on your nails. I do like that this design is so accommodating to long nails, but I would have liked the astronaut and most of the earth to fit on my nails. The gap for the Earth up at my cuticles sadly just looks like the image transferred poorly. I am by no means a stamping expert, but this image is a little less forgiving than others I have used. Also, you can see the star pattern (four cardinal points-type) by the Earth loses its crispness due to the shallow plate etching.

I love the images on this plate, but I do wish it was etched deeper. Even with a dedicated stamping polish, I still needed to use a sticky and squishy stamper, often referred to as a "marshmallow" stamper, in order to fully pick up the image. While this is my preferred type of stamper, I know it doesn't suit everyone. I am still glad to have this plate, but it is sadly a little limiting for who can use it. This plate normally retails for $5.99, but at the timing of this post, it is on sale for $2.99.


While you are shopping, be sure to check out all the items Born Pretty Store has to offer for your nail art needs. Also, be sure to use the discount code QWL91 to save 10% on all full priced items. Please note I do NOT get any commission if you use the code; this is just a way for my readers to save some money on already affordable products. Free worldwide shipping is slower and can take up to 6 weeks although my experience has been between 3 and 4 weeks. Alternately, you can purchase expedited shipping and should have items in about a week. 

Other products used for this nail art look:
Literary Lacquers: Court of Dreams
Journey & Co: HALOgraphic
Powder Perfect : Black Stamping Polish

Have you used any products from Born Pretty Store? What types of nail art products do you like or dislike? Did you do your nails this weekend? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!



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